VF-103guy AKA Brian Marbrey. Bad trader. Lousy communicator.

[roym]

OK, here it comes.

Following on from a post here for 1/72 decal sheets for sale I sent an email (as instructed) to express my interest. That was about the 25 September. I got no reply. That should've warned me off.

On the 2nd October I sent another mail after the original post was updated by the seller. The following day I got a reply explaining that the cost was $7 each and that while they had no placement guides these could be emailed to me. This mail also contained the paypal addy to send the money to.

That evening I paypal'ed my $14 for two sheets and sent a reply stating I'll take two sheets and giving my home address.

I received my confirmation email from paypal but I never even got a "thanks for the payment Roy", or "the money arrived" or "kiss my arse" from Mr Marbrey. I did think this was strange as it never happened to me before either here or on ebay. I had no contact at all from Mr Marbrey.

On the 28 Oct (nearly 4 weeks after I paid) I sent another email asking if he had received the payment and if he had posted the decals as I had not heard from him. I did say there was no problem with a delay but please keep me informed as there is nothing worse than not knowing. I also asked him to email me the placement guides. This email bounced when sent to the address I paypal'ed to (if it was good enough to take my money surely it was good enough to contact him). Another to the yahoo address I had also bounced. Things were not looking good. I eventually tried PM'ing him (which also does not work) and eventually got through using the ARC forum email.

The response was;

roy-

If you're referring to the 1/72 combo sheets, I had a slight delay in getting those out due to my beign sick for 2 weeks plus, when I got back to work, I was slammed as usual..

I'll be making a postal run hopefully tomorrow afternoon, if not then, Wednesday for sure.

That Wednesday mentioned was the 31 Oct. Fair enough, but pity he couldn't take the time to write a one line email to say he's a bit busy. He certainly can take the time to post on here.

On the 17th November I emailed again to ask if they had been posted on the 31st Oct as promised. If they had I needed to know to chase them down here. No response.

On the 22nd November I sent it again to his other email. No response.

On the 24th I tried again to both email addys I have. This time the reply was more or less 'been too busy to do it but catching up' and

sometime between today and tomorrow you should get a priority email confirmation from USPS.

One hour later I got this

Ok, I've got you confused with someone else. I sent out all of the 1/72 combo sheets that were ordered through ARC some time ago, to include yours.

snip

Since then I have thrice tried to ascertain which of the above is appropriate to me and when exactly they have (if) been posted, so I can track them down here. The last one of these was sent yesterday. No response.

Maybe he is too busy to reply, but he has time to post on here. Like....

Today, 03:00 PM

Today, 05:30 AM

Yesterday, 06:45 AM

Yesterday, 06:13 AM

Yesterday, 06:05 AM

Yesterday, 06:03 AM

Yesterday, 05:59 AM

Yesterday, 05:52 AM

Yesterday, 05:48 AM

Dec 6 2007, 06:21 AM

Dec 6 2007, 06:19 AM

Dec 6 2007, 06:13 AM

Dec 6 2007, 02:38 AM

Dec 5 2007, 10:26 PM

Dec 5 2007, 07:00 PM

Dec 5 2007, 06:52 AM

Dec 5 2007, 06:06 AM

I could go on but you get the idea.

Now, I know it is only $14, I know I have plenty in the stash to keep me busy decalling for years, I know I don't need those decals that badly, and I know that we all have lives that get in the way sometimes. But I don't like being ignored, I don't like being shown disrespect, especially by another member of ARC and such a prominent member at that. This has left a very bad taste in my mouth and left me with a very poor opinion of Mr Marbrey, which is a pity as I would have liked to use his advice on building VF-103 F-14s and F-18s.

I also know that plenty of you will be on defending Mr Marbrey and the good trades you have had in the past, and you are entitled to do so. But this does not change the fact that he still has my money (small as it is) and I am here with no decals. And he is now on the buy and sell forum again selling kits. Whether the decals ever turn up is kind of irrelevant now, as the lack of communication from a prominent and active ARC member ruins the whole show. If they do turn up I will post it here but that won't change how I feel.

He is selling again, you have been warned.

(And he didn't even email me the placement guides....)

[TonyH]

Can't argue with the records you've kept!

Tony

[VFA-103guy]

Roy-

I'll gladly refund your $14, and I do apologize for my poor lack of communication, but I never ignored you, and if you feel that way, then I apologize.

I will admit, yes, I am a slow trader, but I always come through.

I also did get you confused with another ARCer by the name of Ron, who like you, had purchased 2 sheets at $14, but was a US customer, and I mistakenly thought you were him, which is why I said you'd get a delivery confirmation email.

All of the orders I got for the 1/72 combo sheets were mailed, which I never charged anyone for shipping.

For the record, I did email the placement guides to you, and since you never responded, I assumed you got them.

Edited December 8, 2007 by VF-103guy

[VFA-103guy]

Roy-

I just refunded your money through paypal.

Brian

Edited January 18, 2008 by VF-103guy

[Sabre]

Yes, Brian...you are indeed a very slow trader. I waited a month after I paid for a kit earlier this year & we live close enough that I could have walked north to get it in that amount of time. You did indeed offer to reduce the price, but I feel that a deal made isn't negotiable after the fact, even if it was to my advantage.

And since you quickly refunded the amount in question after being called out, it would appear that a simple reversing action on your part makes things A-OK again as though nothing happened.

As far as lousy commo, not surprising since you have shut off the PM feature......another nice move to avoid direct contact with your customers that have questions about their orders.

And I'm sure I'll take some heat for this next statement.......but I really don't care.

I, for one, am tired of your gripping about your personal life in order to cover up for your poor business practices. We all have problems & troubles.......our youngest son totaled his car last week......been having a helluva time with my aged mother lately.....oldset son deploys to Iraq right after Christmas......but you don't hear me whining about these matters to compensate for any shortcomings.

I'm sure this will get some attention...so be it.

Barnett

[Bafke]

Well, if Sabre's going down, I'll be going down with him .

Stef

[VFA-103guy]

Yes, Brian...you are indeed a very slow trader. I waited a month after I paid for a kit earlier this year & we live close enough that I could have walked north to get it in that amount of time. You did indeed offer to reduce the price, but I feel that a deal made isn't negotiable after the fact, even if it was to my advantage.

And since you quickly refunded the amount in question after being called out, it would appear that a simple reversing action on your part makes things A-OK again as though nothing happened.

As far as lousy commo, not surprising since you have shut off the PM feature......another nice move to avoid direct contact with your customers that have questions about their orders.

And I'm sure I'll take some heat for this next statement.......but I really don't care.

I, for one, am tired of your gripping about your personal life in order to cover up for your poor business practices. We all have problems & troubles.......our youngest son totaled his car last week......been having a helluva time with my aged mother lately.....oldset son deploys to Iraq right after Christmas......but you don't hear me whining about these matters to compensate for any shortcomings.

I'm sure this will get some attention...so be it.

Barnett

First off, although I appreciate your honesty Jim and I do respect your opinion, what does our closed deal have anything to do with this? If you felt it wasn't right, why couldn't you have let me know then?

Secondly, I have no other excuse for my late trades other than my job. This is the reason I shut down VF-Decals, well... that and some personal issues that I won't reitterate on.

Yes, I quickly responded and gave Roy his money back because he wasn't happy with his service, and I certainly don't expect things to just be ok after the fact.

I shut of my PM feature because I was trying to keep business transactions organized through my email, because I was getting both PM's and emails from the same customers and I was double back tracking in some cases making sure orders were filled and questions answered.

As for trades, I have 2 currently pending, and I won't be trading or selling for a while after the fact.

I do apologize for my actions and I take full responsibility.

I know my apology doesn't make it right, but it's the best I can do for now.

[hatchet]

Well, I had forgotten that I had ordered the combo-sheet, so I was pleasantly surprised when it showed up. I also felt a bit un-easy, because I couldn't recall if I had payed or not! I had tho'.

Still waiting for placement guides tho'

[VFA-103guy]

Well, I had forgotten that I had ordered the combo-sheet, so I was pleasantly surprised when it showed up. I also felt a bit un-easy, because I couldn't recall if I had payed or not! I had tho'.

Still waiting for placement guides tho'

If you need placement guides, you need to be sure your email features are turned off. Everyone who's asked for them, I've emailed.

If you don't reply back, how am I supposed to know you got them or didn't get them?

[Sabre]

Simply put...your way of doing business falls short of proper practices.

And it has been like that for quite a while.....hence the reference to our deal of earlier this year.

Certainly hope you can get things sorted out & on track...

Jim

[Charlie Cheetah]

Sorry Guys,

Im stepping in for Brian's Defense.

He may not be the speediest when it comes to shipping, but he always delivers.

I have dealt with him on a few occasions, and he never failed me.

Our first deal was for an Hasegawa 1/48 F/A-18A bulders special. Brian wasnt able to send it out right away because of some other commitements. I told him I was in no hurry and to do what he needed to get done, I can wait. When he does send it, he lets me know he added a few goodies to the package that would make me very happy.

Sadly, around the time this was going on, we were having some trouble with mail being stolen. I believe that was the case with the Hornet package (Seriously, it was being stolen, I know by who, just cant prove it). The local post office counters now check ID when parcels are picked up, probably because of my complaint to them. I let Brian know what had happened, he immediately refunds my paypal acct! He didnt have to do that, it was stolen on my end, not his. A week later, I get a 1/48 Hasegawa F-14A (VF-154 Atsugi 25th Anniversary) kit from him in the mail, at no charge.

I wouldn't hesitate to deal with Brian again. He is a Great Trader in my books. :D

Charles Arsenault.

ps: Brian really doesnt deserve these complaints. So what if it dont get here in a weeks time. You want fast delivery, deal with an online hobby shop. If you want a good deal and to make a good friend, you deal with Brian.

[Sabre]

Nothing wrong with standing up for a friend...honorable to be sure.

But our deal took a month...way too long...we only live about 3 hours from each other...no excuse.

Jim

[VFA-103guy]

Nothing wrong with standing up for a friend...honorable to be sure.

But our deal took a month...way too long...we only live about 3 hours from each other...no excuse.

Jim

Interesting that you never complained once during the transaction....

[Sabre]

What good would it have done? I knew you were a "slow trader"...but never figured it would take that long.....and besides, I had already sent my part of the deal quickly.......you had my money....nothing I could do.

Ya know...have grown weary of this topic.....nothing is going to change anyway.

Jim

Edited December 9, 2007 by Sabre

[VFA-103guy]

What good would it have done? I knew you were a "slow trader"...but never figured it would take that long.....and besides, I had already sent my part of the deal quickly.......you had my money....nothing I could do.

Ya know...have grown weary of this topic.....nothing is going to change anyway.

Jim

Ya know Jim, over the past year, I've had a lot of things happen that have been out of my control, and at the time I was doing my best to get things out when I could, and I did everything I could to keep you posted as to what was going on, and I gave you a partial refund eventhough I didn't have to. If you had a problem, you should have stepped up and said something. I thought we had some sort of friendship enough to the point where if you were fealing that uneasy about the deal, you could have said something.

Seems to me like you're just getting on the band wagon just to have something to complain about.

Don't worry..I'm done trading here.

[Sabre]

Brian,

I'm just tired of the whining.......you may see it as keeping people informed.....but it comes across as petty whiney.

Your call on trading here or not....I'm certainly not speaking for a lot of guys here....only myself.

And I'm certainly not "jumping on the band wagon".....I'm not much on following the crowd.

Think I'll go do something constructive.....and something that will have a positive outcome...like spend some time in the model room. ;)

Jim

Edited December 9, 2007 by Sabre

[dthank]

[HS-4Grandson]

Well I will have to disagree with on this Brian came through on his offer on sending me a set of markings for free, and he came through even though they were alittle late but who cares they came in mint condition as if I would of purchase them from either Fightertown or SprueBrothers.

Stanton

[Benner]

Brian,

And I'm certainly not "jumping on the band wagon".....I'm not much on following the crowd.

meh ...

"Warning, Will Robinson, Warning: bad trader alert !! "

Edited December 9, 2007 by Benner

[smithery]

Seems to me like you're just getting on the band wagon just to have something to complain about.

Don't worry..I'm done trading here.

With all due respect, fight fair Brian. When has Jim EVER complained about anything?

The whole point of a BT post is to warn others, and it also allows other folks to air their grievances about a trader with respect to trades they've had with the same person. Which is exactly what Jim did.

Every once in a while, everyone needs to take their lumps. Looks like the time is now for you. Nothing more, nothing less. Roy's complaint is legit, and you rightfully refunded his money. For that you have my respect.

As for you being done trading here, perhaps that is best until you don't have to make any type of excuses, period.

[VFA-103guy]

This is to Roy and everyone else who thinks I've burned them, and I hope no one thinks I'm whining.

I want to publicly apologize to the ARC community that my trades or sales with any one here went south, and I apologize if I failed to properly communicate with you. It is certainly not my intention to rip people off, and yes, in the past year or so, I have been a slow trader due to my work hours. I have no ther excuse other than that. I also apologize to anyone here who felt I was whining too much.

Stef-

I know you have been ill at me for some time, and I would like to make a mends with you if you're willing to accept.

Jim-

I certainly repsect you and your opinions as well as your friendship and I hope one day we can work out whatever difference we have. I certainly apologize that our trade took so long, and I hope you'll accept my apology. I also apologize for my comments to you in this thread.

Roy-

Again, I am truly sorry if you felt I was trying to blow you off, as that certainly was not the case. I should have been better with my communication with you and I apologize for that. If you still haven't rec'd the decals, I'll gladly re-send another pair at no cost to you eventhough I have already refunded your money.

Benner-

I don't remember if we had a trade at any time, but if we did and you weren't happy, please let me know.

Brian

[Sabre]

It's history now....apology accepted, of course.

Jim

[Eject]

I will also post brian as a bad trader

since i have made a deal almost couple of years ago before VF Decals produce the Jolly Rogers History Sheet for my Aeroaster VFA-34 Blue Basters sheet

since that day

i have seen a model build from Brian with those decals i send to him

and i have never seen those VF-84/103 Jolly Roger sheet

i contact him and he said that with my order of VF-103 last Cruise sheet he will send some extras as a trade for the F-18 sheet but....

nothing come up

thats my story....

George

[elmerfudd94]

had a couple slow deals with brian, and i just sent him more money. if that tells you how i feel about the wait. never been dissapointed with the end result. just some peoples priorities are different than others, and they put the list of what comes first accordingly. may not be the most business like approach, but i see a guy dumping his stash for whatever reason. ive read plenty about his slow deals, but never any complaints about the end result. bottom line is let your money speak. ill still deal with him. if no one else will, then more good stuff for me.

[VFA-103guy]

I will also post brian as a bad trader

since i have made a deal almost couple of years ago before VF Decals produce the Jolly Rogers History Sheet for my Aeroaster VFA-34 Blue Basters sheet

since that day

i have seen a model build from Brian with those decals i send to him

and i have never seen those VF-84/103 Jolly Roger sheet

i contact him and he said that with my order of VF-103 last Cruise sheet he will send some extras as a trade for the F-18 sheet but....

nothing come up

thats my story....

George

I sent those decals to you not once but twice and both times you claimed you never got them. I only send replacements once, so it's not my fault you didn't get them.